Search This Blog

Subscribe to this blog

Follow by Email

Roots

The Saga of an American FamilyA Story to Always Reflect OnBy Alex HaleyUSA, 1976Historical FictionMain Attractions 1. Multi Generational2. Linked to other fabulous books3. Fast-paced page turner4. Rich Cultural Life pre-capture5. Harrowing journey in the slave boat6. Glimpse into daily life on a plantation7. Follows the full life of the main character8. Shows incredible cultural differences9. Reveals language learning 10. Powerful climax and resolutionTravel Advisory:Some scenes are extremely graphic. But if you need to, they can be skipped over. I had to skip over some of the more extreme ones. I am still haunted by them because I know what happened. Skipping them didn’t hurt my understanding of the story. I still feel very deeply for them and understand them very well. Cuisine & DelicaciesRanked as: Lasagna or Hearty CasseroleNo spoilers, I promise: This book begins with the main character as a child and follows him right up to manhood. We see his life’s journey and daily struggles. Haley is so detailed when chronicling what the characters experience. By the end, you’re sure to love the characters.It’s so raw and realistic so I’m sure you’ll be asking questions. Some questions I’m still asking, How can the slave traders act like that? How can Kunte Kinte exist in this world? What are they going to do now? Off the Beaten PathHere is a movie trailer for 12 Years a Slave, it’s based on a book. I loved the movie but haven’t read the book… yet.12 Years a Slave Directed By Steve MeQueenBased on the book memoir by Solomon Northup (1853)

Recommended Resources:Alternate Books✓ The African By Harold Courlander (1967) - Parts of Roots plagiarized from this book, there was a major plagiarism lawsuit. The African is the original.✓ Uncle Tom’s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852) - Possibly inspired the American Civil War and had a strong influence on the anti-slavery movement.Film Adaptations✓ 1977, Distributed by ABC-TV and Warner Bros. Television - Fairly close to the novel, left out some bits but it keeps the original spirit.

✓ 2016, Distributed by The History Channel and Wolper Organization/Will Packer Productions

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's that time again ... where writers from all over the planet emerge from hibernation, take to the grocery stores' snack section & stock pile for the best writing event of the year!!!

* 3 Cheers!!!! *

There's only 1 thing better than the original Nano & that's Camp Nano: every April & July. The biggest difference is the flexibility of the projects. It's a time to revise your November project, beef up your blogs, complete some screenwriting or finish off your Thesis.

This year, I'll try --again-- to revise a previous nano. Feel free to download this, share it and let it guide you through the messiness that is writing er, revising.

Feel free to leave a comment about future calendars you'd like to see for July's Camp. (Revision, Word Trackers, Writing Prompts)

This year, I created 2 sets of calendars; for pantsers & rebels. If you're a planner, feel free to adapt these as well. There are 4 image choices for each calendar, so I hope one catches your eye! They are designed to be wallpapers for your laptop to give you daily inspiration. The free space on the side is for your notes or desktop clutter. Good luck this year!Pantser Mojo Plan

I blame the internet for my double booking this July. I signed up for the #hotandsticky 4 month long summer writing extravaganza. Feel free to join in the fun or mark your calendar for next summer. Details for that craziness can be found on this blog post and here’s a link to their youtube channel. The hashtag is great fun on Twitter.

Ok, back to camp! This time the calendar is all about keeping the summer groove, classroom style. It features expert level procrastination, a writer’s must do. It also features high level randomness also known as ‘I’m not procrastinating because it adds a creative element to my WIP.’ No class of people can whup us when it comes to creatively finding ways to procrastinate. We invented that ninja in our psyche!

My quote for the month, in honour of our awesomeness & libraries: “The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man [& a woman] will turn over half a library to make…